Apparatus for pressing the collars and lapels of coats



May 24, y1938. c. DE MARCO '2,118,031

APPARATUS FOR PRESSING THE COLLARS AND LAPELS OF COATS Filed Aug. 15, 1936 3 Sheets-Shea?l l n n 17@ 1l I @2| -n--v l A 4/0 I |l l 1| l lNvENToR M22/0 CL jig/a 6 l M ATTORNEY May 24, 1938. c. DE MARCO 2,118,031

APARATUS FOR PREssING THE COLLARS AND LAPELS oF coATs Filed Aug. l5, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY l )Q JN/ g ATTORNEY C. DE MARCO May 24, 1938.

APPARATUS FOR PRESSING THE COLLARS AND LAPELS OF COATS Filed Aug. 15, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Il' /l ATTORN EY Patented May 24, 1938 APPARATUS FOR PRESSING THE COLLARS AND LAPELS OF COATS Charles De Marco, Rochester, N. Y. Application August 13, 1936, Serial No. 95,812

5 Claims. The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that will press the collar and lapels of a coat in one operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that will press the collar and lapels of a coat between steam heated upper and lower forms and after the pressing is completed the upper form of which is raised and cold air is then drawn through the lower form and through the collar and lapels of the coat for the purpose of cooling the parts of the coat that have been heated and pressed before it is removed from the form.

Another object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with a pedal that will be automatically locked on being pressed down and thereafter can be released by a treadle.

Another object is to control the flow of cold air by the same treadle that releases the female form.

These and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of the apparatus, or a view looking at it from the right in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus viewed from the left hand side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus on the line 3zr-3x of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the female part of the form, with the top plate removed. This form is used in pressing the collar and lapels of the coat.

Figure 5 is a detail View of the valve mechanism by which cold air is drawn through the collar and lapels of the coat after the hot pressing of these parts of the coat.

vFigure 6 is a sectional elevation of the locking pedal shown locked in its lowest position by the pawl.

Figure 7 is a detail View of the treadle for moving the pawl and releasing the locking pedal.4

Figure 8 is a detail view of one half of the cloth cover for the male buck.

In the drawings reference numeral I yindicates the pedestal of the apparatus, on top of which is mounted a stationary buck or form 2, which is adapted to receive the coat. The coat is buttoned over this form. The part 3 corresponds to the neck of the person around which the collar is draped. 'I'he part 4 corresponds to the chest of the person that wears the coat.

On the pedestal I is an upright bracket 5, on top of which is pivoted a swinging buck or form 6, the pivot being indicated at 6a. This arm has v an opening 'I therein that is adapted to fit down over the neck 3 of the stationary form 2. Between the moving arm 6 and the stationary form 2, the collar and the lapels of the coat are closely compressed and are pressed into the desired form of the finished garment.

The stationaryrform 2 and the swinging arm I5 are hollow and both are steam heated from the inside. The swinging arm 5 swings on its pivot 6a and is operated by a link 6b, which in turn is connected to a pedal 8. Pivotally mounted on the pedestal is a pawl 9 which, as shown in Figure 3, lies parallel to the raised pedal. As the pedal is pushed down to the position shown in Figure 6, the pawl 9 drops down to a vertical position and locks the treadle 3 in a horizontal position. The pawl 9 is stopped in the correct position by the adjusting screw 9a.

After the pedal is moved down and the arm 6 has been swung down over the stationary form 2, the operator takes hold of the handle I5 and pulls it down and opens a valve II and admits steam for a few seconds from the chamber I2 into the chamber I2a of the hollow swinging arm. This Sponges the collar and lapels of the'coat. When he lets go of the handle the spring III operates toclose the valve. 'I'he inner wall of this chamber is perforated, as indicated at I3, with a number of perforations through which the steam is fed directly onto the collar and the lapels of the coat from the outside. Inside the form'2 is a steam chest I4, which is heated al1 the time by steam under pressure.

After the coat has remained between the forms for a suitable period of about a minute or so, during which time vit is submitted both to heat and to pressure, the operator steps on the treadle I Ii, kicking the pawl 9 out from its dead center position on the pedal 8. This permits the pedal to rise. The pedal will rise because the arm 6 is counterbalanced by the counterweight I1 that swings down by gravity and lifts the arm 6, raising the pedal 8 through the link 6b. The downward movement of the counterbalance is limited by the stop I'Ia fastened thereon which makes contact with the back arm of the pedestal. The counterbalance is adjustable in and out because of the slot IIb through which a binding screw extends that fastens the counterweight `to the swinging buck. e l

When the treadle I6 is drawn down, it draws down on the link I 'Id which is attached to a valve stem I8, on the upper end of which is a valve I9 shown in Figure 5. This valve moves in a housing 20. In this housing air is drawn out through the elbow 2l, which forms a part of the housing. 'Ihis elbow is always connected to a partial vacuum. When the valve I9 moves down past the opening in theV elbow 2l, air is drawn down through the nipple 22. 'Ihis nipple is connected through a pipe 23 with the inside of the stationary form 2, so that the air is drawn out of the form and this in turn draws air through the many small perforations 24 in the form 2. Y This causes the outside air to be drawn through the lapels and collar of the coat into the form. way the outside air is drawn through the collar and lapels and cools them.' The air is caused to circulate in this way for a few seconds until the lapels and collar are sufficiently cooled, after which they can be removed from the form.

A table 25 is provided on which the coat can be conveniently handled before putting on the stationary form or after removing it therefrom.

On the bottom of the link 5b is a spring 6c. The pressure of the pedal is exerted on the link through this spring. The spring is adjustable by a nut 6d so that the right pressure is exerted whether the collar and lapels are thick or thin. On the pedal 8 is a pawl 26 which rocks up slightly and locks the link 6b to the pedal by a frictional gripping action as shown in Fig. 6 so that it cannot move while the pedal is down. The pawl 26 is held on the pedal by a bolt and nut 33 which holds it somewhat loosely thereon permitting it to rock on the pedal. The nut is held in place on the bolt by a pin 3| that passes through the bolt.

On the form 2 is provided a cloth pad or cover, the lower edges of which are turned under around a coiled spring 28 which extends around the lower edge of the form 2. The spring keeps the cloth cover drawn tight so that it does not wrinkle and a smooth surface is maintained while the pressing is done. The inner surface of the upper form is covered with a screen 29, as shown in Figure 3.

The cloth cover is held in place on the stationary buck by means of the metal plate 32 which clamps down on the top of the buck. Two studs 33, 33 are provided on the buck which extend through the plate. On these studs are wing nuts 34 which clamp the plate down on the buck, holding the top of the cover securely in place thereon. This plate can be quickly removed should it be desirable for any reason to change the cloth cover on the buck.

This cloth cover is made of two pieces which are cut to the same pattern, one of them being shown in Figure 8. These two pieces are sewed together on the lines and 5l. The upper edge of the cover is turned down at right angles and engages under the plate 32. The coil spring 28 is sewed into the lower edge of the cover at 53 and normally rests underneath the buck and serves by its elasticity to draw the cloth tight down around the buck. The collar and lapel are shown in position on this cover.

Steam is admitted to the bucks from the pipe 40. The steam passes through the pipe 4l into the stationary buck and through the pipe 42 into the plug 43, from which it passes through the swinging connections 44 and pipe 45 into the chamber I2 of the swinging buck and out through the pipe 45a and swinging connection 44a into the exhaust pipe 46.

In this Y I claim:

l. In an apparatus for pressing the collar and lapels of a coat, the combination of a stationary male buck on which the coat is adapted to be draped and buttoned, a swinging female buck adapted to swing down toward the male buck and clamp the collar and lapels of the coat between them, means for heating bo-th of said bucks from within by steam, atleast one of said bucks being adapted to supply steam directly to the collar and lapels for the purpose of heating and sponging them, means for releasing and raising the female buck, said means operating at the same time to apply cold air to the collar and lapels for the purpose of cooling the cloth.

2. In an apparatus for pressing the collar and lapels of a coat, the combination of a stationary male buck on whichY the coat is adapted to be draped and buttoned, a swinging female buck adapted to swing down toward the male buck and clamp the collar and lapels of the coat between them, means for heating both of said bucks from within by steam at least one of said bucks being adapted to supply steam directly to the collar and lapels for the purpose of heating and sponglng them, a treadle and link for pulling the female buck down on the male buck, a pawl for locking it in its lowest position, a treadle for disengaging said pawl, means operated by disengaging movement of said treadle for causing air to ow through the male buck for the purpose of cooling the cloth.

3. In a pressing machine, a hollow buck. having a pervious surface, a head adapted to engage said buck in pressing relation, means for moving the head and buck relative to one another into pressing relation, a lock for holding said buck and head in pressing relation, release means for said lock, controllable means for drawing air through said pervious buck surface into said buck and means for controlling said controllable means to draw air in through said buck in response to release movement of said lock release means.

4. In a pressing machine, a lever for moving the buck and head into pressing relation, a lock for said lever comprising a pivoted strut adapted to swing into perpendicular relation to said lever to prevent movement thereof against the strut, and a release lever, said release lever having a cam adapted to act on said strut to swing the same out of perpendicular relationship with said rst named lever.

5. In an apparatus for pressing lapels of a coat in one pressing operation, the combination of a stationary male buck on which the coat is adapted to be draped and buttoned in an upright position, said male buck having an upright neck portion and a slightly curved surface chest portion extending forwardly therefrom adapted to fully support the coat and its collar and lapels, a swinging female buck adapted to swing down toward the male buck and clamp the collar and lapels of the coat between them, said female buck having a horizontal axis pivot closely behind the male buck lying in a horizontal plane passing through the neck portion of the male buck substantially at its juncture with the chest portion thereof.

the collar and CHARLES DE MARCO. 

